Vacuum condenser



Jan. 26, 1932. NYMAN 1,842,797

VACUUM CONDENSER Original Filed Sept. 3, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 26, 1932 A. NYMAN VACUUM CONDENSER Original Filed Sept. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY I 35 I Figure 1is asectional Patented Jan. 26, 1932 4 ALEXANDER mm, or norms runny, s l nausea conronurron, or nEw YORK,

new Yonx. '"assrerioa r 3 UNITED STA TES P ATENT OFFICE DUBILIIEB CON- N. Y., A. CORPORATION 01 DEA-WARE vacui'm connnrrsna Application filed September 3, 1924, Serial No. 735,572 Renewed Kay 28, 1981.

This invention relates to improvements in condensers comprising elements of electrically conductive material, separated one from another, for use in electric circuits.

5 An object of my invention is to provide an electrical condenser which can be operated at higher voltages and with smaller'losses than have heretofore been deemed possible.

A further object of the invention is to pro-f 1o vide an electrical condenser in which the electrically conductive elements are, separated without the intervention of any gaseous, liquid or solid dielectric material whatsoever; preferably, by means of a construction from the vicinity of which the air is exhausted, so that the condenser operates in a vacuum; although, in some instances, the conductive elements may be associated with intervening 1 suitable dielectric material, while the vacuum around the body of the condenser is mamtained. v i

The nature of the invention and further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description and drawings, and the novel features of my improvements claims, but thedisclosure is, of course, illustrative only, and I may make changes in details, without departing from the scope and 80 principle of the inventlon, to thefull extent indicated by the broad and" general meanings of the terms in which the appended claims are 7 expressed.

On the drawings,- I view taken through a condenser according-to my invention, m a suitable container; Figure 2 is a sectional view through another form of such a condenser; I 7 Figure 3 is a topview of what is shown in Figure 2.;

Fi re 4 is a sectional view substantially on the hue Ir-.4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional 'ew of a further modification. v i w On the drawingsthe same numerals jidens tify the same parts througout. '7 Heretofore, all electrical co densers have been so made'tha't the construction thereof included the use of adielectric such as asuitare set forth in the appended.

spaces between the plates 5 able liquid, or solid material in the form of strips, sheets or plates, or as in. an air condenser, a quantity of gas between the conductive elements or plates of the condenser. The presence of such insulation, although it serves to se arate the conductive elements electrically rom one 'another,'nevertheless, always gives rise to losses of some sort, such as brush discharges and current and voltage. losses in the dielectric, although an air'condenser with conductive plates of negligible resistance affords the advantage that it really sustains no losses except those due to the socalled brush discharge or' corona. e

In particular, with dielectric material of 1 some sort actually between the conductive elements of the condenser, there is also some transference of electrical energy between the conductive elements or plates of opposite polarity, such as brush discharges and creepage losses taking place across the dielectric itsel-f,besides the current and voltage losses in the body of the dielectric. Some electrical energy always passes between the conductive elements .or plates whenever the voltage is high enough, because of brush discharge or creepages from one element to another. I have found it possible by providing a condenser to operate in a vacuum, to utilize much higher voltages than have heretofore been permissible under practical conditions, and to obviate all the losses except eddy current losses in the metal parts of the condenser, and these losses can be made so small as to require no consideration.

- Referring first to Figure, 1, I show at 1, in longitudinal section, an evacuated vessel, the form of a bulb of glass or any other su1tv able material. Inside this vessel is the body of a condenser 2, comprising members 3 and lwhich respectively carry the conductive elements or plates 5 and 6. .The. plates 3 and 4: appear in edge view in Figure 1, and the,elements 5 and 6 in end view only, It will be understood that the plates 5 are arranged in the usual way with their sides orfaces parallel to one another and spaced the required intervals apart, while the plates 6 are given a similar arrangement projecting into the without making will operate to provide the required capacity in said circuit. To the element 3, I may attacha wire or rod 7, sealing the end of same in the vessel 1, and to the member 4, I may attach a wire or rod 8, which is sealed in the vessel in the same way, the rods 7 and 8 serving as supports for thecondenser 1, and I may also connect with the conductive member 3, a conductor 9L which is sealed in the side of the vessel lian d passes out through the same to serve as a terminal, a similar conductor 10 being attached'to the member 4 and being sealed in the vessel, extending through the latter to the exterior, to serve as another terminal. By means of the parts 7 and 8, the body -2 of the condenser is suspend ed inside of the vessel 1, out of contact with the interior surface thereof and if desired,

the conductors 9; and 10 may assist in thus supporting the condenser, although the parts 7 and 8. may be large and strong enough to serve such a purpose by themselves.

The air is exhausted from the vessel 1 to such a point as to create a very high vacuum therein before is sealed up over the condenser 2, and the vessel 1 with the condenser tainer 11 which completely encloses the container and may be filled with any suitable packing or cushioning material around the vessel 1 to prevent this vessel-from being broken by handling or use, the packing or cushioning material th us protecting the vessel 1 with its contents from jars or shocks. The container may be provided with a removable-top or cover which is provided with openings through which the conductors 9- and 10 may pass, and these openings may be covered with parts of insulation 12 and 13,

forming binding posts and having threaded stems 14 to which the conductors 9and 10 are attached, the threaded stems carrying on their outer ends nuts 15 to which the terminals of an electric circuit canbe secured. The space between tlie interior surfaces of thecontainer 'lland the evacuated vessel 1, to receive the packing and cushioning material," is indicated at 16, and the vessel 1 may be provided with depressions making reinforcing ribs17 through which the parts 7 and 8 and the wires 9 and 10 are passedand in -which-they are sealed.

It will thus be seen that the constructionofthe condenser 2 and the manner of mounting the same in the evacuatedvessel 1 dispenses with all insulation whatsoever between the elements 5 and 6. Hence, with all dielec- 'to be ionized by the electric char e on the losses which usually take place in the dielec- 2 in it can be disposed in a protective 0on tric material of any kind absent between the members 3 and 4, and the elements 5 and 6, there is nothing between the plates 5 and'6 plates 5 and 6, and, therefore, no c ance for 7 current to flow between the plates 5 and 6. I thus can operate the condenser 2 in the vacuum within the evacuated vessel 1 at much higher voltages than the presence of dielectric between the plates 5 and 6 would permit. 7 I also eliminate brush discharges and corona losses, together with current and voltage tric material itself, and although there may be some eddy current losses in the metal plates 5 and 6, or the parts 3 and 4, these losses can be made so small that they can be left out of account. Of course, the members 3 and 4, do not have to be of metal, they can more suitably be of some other material, but all of the plates 5 must, of course, be electrically connected to themselves and to the conductor 9, a'nd the plates 6' must be connected together and to the conductor 10.

Whilethe absence of all dielectric material between the plates 5. and 6 is preferred, I may, in some instances, use solid dielectric between the various plates 5 and 6 in the evacuated vessel 1. I can then operate the condenser with the same high voltages as before without brush discharges or corona losses, although with dielectric present, some losses in the dielectric will necessarily take place. 1 I

In Figures 2, 3 and 4, I show an evacuated 1 vessel 1 with transverse depressions 17 in thebottom of each of which is sealed a pair of rods 18, which are bent away from each other towards the opposite sides of the vessel and then bent so as to be parallel with each other 1 as indicated at 19, these parts 18 being connected by transverse -members 20, which may be wires or rods, to act as supporting bars for the conductive elements 5 and 6. Thus there will be at one end of the bulb or vessel 1 1, a pair of parallel bars 20 to which the elements 5 will be secured by soldering or n any other suitable way, and the elements 6' will be similarly secured to the supportlng bars or members 20 at the opposite end. At 1 least one of the'parts 18 and one of the bars '19 at each end of the condenser 2 should be of conductive material. so that to. the end thereof which projects through to the outside of the condenser, may be joined the conduce 1 tors 21 and 22 of the circuit in which the condenser is to be 'used. The elements 5 and 6 are shown in side viewin Figure 2; in top view in- Figure 3, and in end view in Flgure 4. 1

The elements15' and 6" are shown at different levels in Figure 2, and elements 6' 1n broken lines in Figure 4 merely to distinguish elements 5 from elements 6'.

Figure 5 shows another form of an evacu- 1 I and through the necks may extend conduits conductive material; the terminals 27 and 28 ployed to mount these plates in proper rela-- ,terial. The necks of these bottle-shaped ated vessel 1 in which the conductive elements denser, and terminals for the conductors of 5' and 6' are mounted by ha 'ng their ends opposite polarity.

aflixed to the bottom of hollow bottle-shaped 5. The combination of a contain ng vessel, members 23 whichmay be of conductive macondenser plates of conductive material supported in spaced relation within thevessel, the members 23 project through the opposite ends supporting means for the plates be ng adaptof the vessel 1 and are sealed therein, the ends ed to convey a cooling medlum to the conof the necks being closed as indicated at 24, denser.

denser plates of conductive material supported in spaced relation within the container, the supporting means for the plates having or pipes 25 and 26 for the admission and withdrawal of any suitable cooling medlum, such as air or liquid. The members 23 being of cooling purposes.

7 An electrical condenser comprising a casing having an evacuated portion, the condenser plates being within the evacuated portion of the casing, means within the casing of an electric circuit can be afiixed thereto, so as to connect the elements 5' and 6' into said circuit.

In order to reduce the eddy current losses in all of the above constructions to a minimum, the conductive elements of the conppp s h c0I}dense1'P1ateS: pdense'r should be made very thin, and P {means P a cllculatory P Obviously, any suitable means may be toracoolmgmedium for the condenser plates.

Signed at New York,in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of August, A. D. 1924.

ALEXANDER NYMAN.

tion in the evacuated spaces forming the chamber containing the vacuum enclosed by the vessel 1. I I

Of course, the particular type of condenser is not material to this invention, as I may vary the design of condenser widely and still be within the principle of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I believe to be new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States 1s v v 1. The combination of an evacuated vessel, a pair of; hollow members in said vessel, said members comprising conductive material, condenser armatures of opposite polarity af- 'fixed to said members and spaced apart, and

conduits for admitting a cooling medium to the mterior of said members, and withdrawmg said medium to control the temperature of sald elements, said members projecting to the exterior of said vessel to enable said elements to be connected to an electric cir- C111 2. The combination of an evacuated contamer, a condenser within said container, the condenser comprising conductive elements in spaced relation, terminals for the conductors of opposite polarity, and meanswithin the container for circulating a fluid medium for cooling said condenser. s

' The combination of an evacuated con tamer, a COHdGDSBfWlthlH said container, the condenser comprising conductive elements in spaced relation, terminals for the conductors of opposite polarity, and means within the condenser for circulating a fluid medium for cooling the conductive elements.

4;.The combination of an evacuated container, condenser plates of conductive material supportedin spaced relation within the container, the supporting means being adapted to serve as a cooling means for the conopenings therein adapted to be utilized for 

